DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HEADQUARTERS, JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO U.S. NAVAL STATION, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA APO AE 09360 14 April 2008 MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, United States Southern Command, 3511 NW 9lst Avenue, Miami, FL 33172 1. (S) Personal Information: JTF-GTMO Detainee Assessment JDIMS/NDRC Reference Name: Fayiz Ahmad Yahia Sulyman Current/True Name and Aliases: Fayiz Ahmad Yahia Suleiman, Idrees al-yamani, Idris al-jeddawi, Fayez al- Marwai Idris, Fayiz al-jedai, Zamir, Fiaz al-yemeni, Faisal al-jeddawi, Idris Ahmad Place of Birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA) Date of Birth: 1 September 1974 Citizenship: Yemen (YM) Internment Serial Number (ISN): US9YM-000153DP a. (U//FOUO) Health: Detainee is on a list of high-risk detainees from a health perspective. Detainee is in fair health. He has no significant medical problems. He has a history of a Hunger Strike. He has G6PD deficiency. He had a left inguinal hernia, which has been surgically repaired. 2. (U) JTF-GTMO Assessment: a. (S) Recommendation: JTF-GTMO recommends this detainee for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD). JTF-GTMO previously recommended detainee for Continued Detention Under DoD Control (CD) on 2 July 2007. b. (S//NF) Executive Summary: Detainee is a member of al-qaida who participated in combat action against US and Coalition forces as part of Usama Bin Laden s (UBL) 55th CLASSIFIED BY: MULTIPLE SOURCES REASON: E.O. 12958, AS AMENDED, SECTION 1.4(C) DECLASSIFY ON: 20330414
Arab Brigade on the front lines in Afghanistan. Detainee received basic militant training at al-qaida s al-faruq Training Camp and advanced training in poisons at al-qaida s Tarnak Farm Training Camp. Detainee is reported to be a veteran of the Bosnian Jihad and a close associate of former Bosnian commander and al-qaida operative Abu Zubayr al-haili. JTF- GTMO determined this detainee to be: A HIGH risk, as he is likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies A HIGH threat from a detention perspective Of HIGH intelligence value c. (S//NF) Summary of Changes: The following outlines changes to detainee s assessment since the last JTF-GTMO recommendation. (Changes in this assessment will be annotated by next to the footnote.) New information pertaining to detainee s participation in the Bosnian Jihad New information pertaining to detainee s association with Abu Zubayr al-haili 3. (U) Detainee s Account of Events: The following section is based, unless otherwise indicated, on detainee s own account. These statements are included without consideration of veracity, accuracy, or reliability. a. (S//NF) Prior History: Detainee was born to Yemeni parents in Jeddah, SA. He resided with his parents in Saudi Arabia until 1990 or 1991, when his family moved to Yemen. From 1994 to 2001, he worked summers in a plastics manufacturing plant in Hudaydah, YM and sold apples at a grocery store. 1 In 1998, detainee finished his second year of high school at Madrassa Subah in Hudaydah. 2 Since detainee elected not to enter military service, which is mandatory for graduation, he dropped out of high school. 3 Detainee traveled back to Saudi Arabia at some point and was offered two jobs in Jeddah by Abdullah, aka (al-ghamidi), one at the Sharikat Mahmodd Said Li Adwiya pharmaceutical company and the other as an imam with the Saudi Department of Religion at the Hajj Mosque located inside King Abdul Aziz Airport. 4 1 000153 KB 05-Feb-2002, 000153 302 02-APR-2002, TD-314/00296-02 2 000153 SIR 22-AUG-2003, Analyst Note: It is assessed that detainee moved to Yemen in early 1990, because the detainee indicated he was 15 years old. 3 000153 KB 05-FEB-2002, 000153 302 02-APR-2002 4 IIR 6 034 0138 04, IIR 6 034 0168 04, IIR 6 034 0137 04; Analyst Note: Al-Ghamidi is assessed to be al-qaida fundraiser and facilitator Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Abdan al-ghamidi. See TD-314/51970-02, TD-314/09149-03, IIR 6 034 0138 04, and IIR 6 034 0137 04. Al-Ghamidi served as a manager at the mosque in charge of distributing Korans and religious books. No dates were provided for detainee s travel back to Saudi Arabia or for either position. 2
b. (S//NF) Recruitment and Travel: In approximately August 2001, detainee traveled from Jeddah to Hudaydah to visit family for a few days. He then went to Sanaa, YM to get his passport. After about a month at the Adan Tourist Hotel, detainee flew to Karachi, Pakistan (PK) via the United Arab Emirates (AE). After two or three days in Karachi, detainee continued on to Quetta, PK, and then to Kabul, AF. 5 Detainee stated his reason for traveling to Afghanistan was to find a wife. 6 c. (S//NF) Training and Activities: Detainee spent a total of three or four months in Afghanistan. On the trip from Quetta to Kabul, detainee met a man named Qadri Ahmed who invited detainee to stay at his home in Kabul. 7 After about three weeks in Ahmed s home, Ahmed sent detainee away with his relative, Ghufran, to Jalalabad, AF for the stated reason that Afghans were killing Arabs. 8 Ghufran was further instructed to take detainee somewhere safe and help him find a wife. 9 Ghufran took detainee to his house in Jalalabad, where detainee contracted malaria. After two months, detainee and Ghufran left Jalalabad and crossed the Tora Bora Mountains to enter Pakistan. 10 On the way to Pakistan, an Afghan robbed detainee of his money and his passport. In mid-december 2001, detainee and Ghufran arrived at the Pakistani border. Once the detainee had crossed the border, Ghufran returned to his home. 4. (U) Capture Information: a. (S//NF) Detainee was arrested by Pakistani police shortly after he crossed the border. The police took him with a group of five other Arabs to the prison at Kohat, PK where they remained for approximately two weeks. 11 On 30 December 2001, Pakistani authorities transferred detainee to US custody and he was flown to Kandahar, AF. 12 b. (S) Property Held: Money: 1,000 Saudi riyals (SAR) 8,010 Pakistani rupees (PKR) Miscellaneous items include an unidentified liquid in a glass container 5 TD-314/00296-02, 000153 MFR 05-SEP-2003 6 000153 302 15-MAY-2003 7 Analyst Note: A variant of Qadri is Qadir. 8 Analyst Note: This is probably a reference to the fall of Kabul, which occurred on 13 November 2001. 9 000153 MFR 05-SEP-2003 10 000153 302 15-MAY-2003 11 000153 SIR 02-SEP-2003 12 TD-314/00845-02 3
Detainee reportedly retrieved the following additional money from a dead Afghan near Jalalabad, and had it in his possession at his time of capture, although it is not held at JTF-GTMO: 13 15,010 SAR $50 US c. (S) Transferred to JTF-GTMO: 17 January 2002 (S//NF) Reasons for Transfer to JTF-GTMO: Detainee s file does not indicate why he was sent to JTF-GTMO. 5. (S//NF) Evaluation of Detainee s Account: Detainee s story is assessed to be incomplete and self-protecting. There is no mention of any travels to Bosnia for jihadist activity. Detainee recalls details about his past leading up to his travels to Afghanistan. However, he claims he has forgotten nearly all aspects of his life from the time he traveled to Pakistan until he was taken into custody. Since late 2003, detainee has become unresponsive to interrogators and refuses to discuss previous accounts of his activities in Afghanistan. Detainee s claim that he served as an imam increases the likelihood that he received additional schooling in addition to the two years of secondary schooling he has admitted to. Detainee s timeline in Afghanistan is filled with unlikely episodes, such as being invited to stay in a stranger s home in Kabul for an extended period, and his claim that an Afghan stole his passport and money while leaving detainee s travel companion unmolested. The account of traveling to Afghanistan to find a wife is a common cover story used by other detainees held at JTF-GTMO, and detainee is assessed to be using this pretense to provide cover for training and travel periods associated with militant activities. 6. (U) Detainee Threat: a. (S) Assessment: Detainee is assessed to be a HIGH risk, as he is likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies. b. (S//NF) Reasons for Continued Detention: Detainee is a member of al-qaida. Detainee participated in combat action against US and Coalition forces as a member of UBL s 55th Arab Brigade on the front lines at Taloqan and in the Tora Bora Mountains of Afghanistan. Detainee received basic militant training and advanced training at al-qaida supported training camps. Detainee was a veteran of the Bosnian Jihad and a close associate of Abu Zubayr al-haili, who was a Bosnian commander. 13 TD-314/00296-02 4
(S//NF) Detainee is assessed to be a member of al-qaida and the 55th Arab Brigade who participated in hostilities against US and Coalition forces on the front lines at Taloqan and Tora Bora. 14 (S//NF) Abd al-razzaq Abdallah Ibrahim al-sharikh, US9SA-000067DP (SA- 067, transferred), stated detainee was a religious leader in Afghanistan, and SA-067 had heard from other JTF-GTMO detainees that detainee was a long-time al-qaida member. 15 (S//NF) Detainee s name and alias were found in a document listing 324 Arabic names, aliases, and nationalities recovered from raids on safe houses associated with suspected al-qaida members in Karachi, PK. Detainee s name was associated with trust account number 6071.234, which contained a Yemeni passport. 16 (S//NF) Yasin Muhammad Salih Mazeeb Basardah, ISN US9YM-000252DP (YM-252), stated detainee admitted to him that he met UBL in Tora Bora in October 2001. 17 (S//NF) YM-252 saw detainee in Taloqan and stated that detainee was good friends with Majid Abdallah Said al-barayan, ISN US9SA-000051DP (SA-051, transferred), a fighter who served on the front lines at Taloqan. 18 (S//NF) YM-252 commented that detainee belonged to an Arab group in Taloqan who fought against the Northern Alliance led by Awad Khalifah Muhammad Abu Bakr Abu Uwayshah al-barasi, ISN US9LY-000695DP (LY- 695). Other members included SA-051, Fahd Atiyah Hamza Hamid al-harazi, US9SA-000079DP (SA-079, transferred), and Khalid Bin Abdullah Mishal Thamer al-hameydani, US9KU-000213DP (KU-213). 19 (Analyst Note: LY- 695 s group fought with UBL s 55th Arab Brigade under the command of al- 14 Analyst Note: The 55th Arab Brigade served as UBL s primary battle formation supporting Taliban objectives, with UBL participating closely in the command and control of the brigade. Nashwan Abd al-razzaq Abd al-baqi, aka (Abdul Hadi al-iraqi), ISN US9IZ-010026DP (IZ-10026), had primary operational command of the 55th Arab Brigade, serving as UBL s military commander in the field. For additional information see 55th Arab Brigade 01- Feb-1998, FBI 3540-01548-026-0015, and DIA CAR 55th Arab Brigade 18-Sep-2001. 15 000067 SIR 14-APR-2007 16 TD-314/40693-02, Analyst Note: In source document, detainee s name appeared as Fayez Ahmad Sulieman, alias: Idrees al-yamani, a transliteration variant of detainee s name. Detainee s name was number 206 on the list. Such lists indicate an individual s residence within al-qaida, Taliban, and other extremist guesthouses, often for the purpose of training or coordination prior to travel to the front lines or abroad. Trust accounts, also referred to as safety boxes or safety deposit boxes, were simple storage compartments such as envelopes or folders that guesthouse administrators used to secure the individual s personal valuables, such as passports and plane tickets. These items were entrusted to the guesthouse until completion of training or other activity. 17 000252 FM40 05-JUL-2005b 18 IIR 6 034 1014 03, IIR 6 034 1267 03, 000252 FM40 23-SEP-2004 19 IIR 6 034 1267 03IIR 6 034 0128 05, 5
Qaida field commander Abdul Nashwan Abd al-razzaq Abd al-baqi, aka (Abdul Hadi al-iraqi), ISN US9IZ-010026DP (IZ-10026).) (S//NF) Tariq Mahmoud Ahmed al-sawah, ISN US9EG-000535DP (EG-535) stated detainee had received training in Afghanistan and had fought with the Taliban. EG-535 stated detainee was going to join UBL's personal guards but that did not happen. 20 (S//NF) YM-252 identified detainee as one of seven mujahideen that traveled with him from Jalalabad to Tora Bora in late November 2001. The group was led by Abdul Aziz al-qoreshi and Ahmed al-heyali. 21 (S//NF) Humud Dakhil Humud Said al-jadani, ISN US9SA-000230DP (SA- 230, transferred) also stated detainee was present in Tora Bora. 22 (S//NF) Detainee attended basic militant training at al-qaida supported al-faruq and advanced training in poisons at Tarnak Farm. (S//NF) SA-230 claimed detainee received training at the al-faruq Training Camp. 23 (S//NF) YM-252 stated detainee was trained to make poisons at the Kandahar Airport, AF. Detainee told YM-252 he could make a toxin from rotting meat that would poison people. YM-252 was not allowed to look at detainee s notebook to see how that was done. 24 YM-252 also claimed detainee is a medic who was trained by a doctor who used anesthetics. 25 (Analyst Note: The training camp at Kandahar Airport is assessed to be Tarnak Farm.) (S//NF) Detainee admitted previous experience working at a pharmaceuticals company. 26 (S//NF) YM-252 s report is possibly corroborated by SA-230, who stated detainee had a direct link to Taliban and al-qaida leaders, and received instruction from Ali Muhammad Abdul Aziz al-fakhri, aka (Ibn al-shaykh al-libi), ISN US9LY-000212DP (LY-212), during the escape from Tora Bora. 27 (S//NF) Detainee was a veteran of the Bosnian Jihad and a close associate of Abu Zubayr al-haili. (S//NF) EG-535 stated that detainee and Abu Zubayr al-haili were together in Bosnia and were receiving funds, which were used to support the mujahideen's fight 20 000535_SIR_13-JUL-2007 21 IIR 6 034 1495 03 22 000230 SIR 14-APR-2007 23 000230 SIR 14-APR-2007 24 IIR 6 034 1576 03 25 IIR 6 034 1014 03 26 IIR 6 034 0168 04, IIR 6 034 0138 04 27 000230 SIR 14-APR-2007 6
28 against the Serbs. Al-Haili lived in Saudi Arabia before going to Bosnia. Detainee and al-haili left Bosnia in 1995 when the Dayton agreement was being drawn up. They fled to the Hassan Guesthouse in Kandahar. Al-Haili was an emir in Afghanistan and was very close to UBL. He was able to meet with UBL any time he wanted. Al-Haili is assessed to have been a very well connected individual and very dangerous. 29 (S//NF) Analyst Note: The above information supports SA-067 s statement that detainee was a long time member of al-qaida. According to YM-252, Qoershi was a veteran of Bosnia, and Ahmed al-heyali (variant of al-haili who EG-535 mentions) was also part of detainee s group on the front lines. It is probable that all three of these individuals have a history together dating back to the Bosnian Jihad. The name al-haili is probably linked to Abu Zubayr al-haili who was a Bosnian commander. 30 ) c. (S//NF) Detainee s Conduct: Detainee is assessed as a HIGH threat from a detention perspective. His overall behavior has been sporadically compliant and hostile to the guard force and staff. He currently has 67 Reports of Disciplinary Infraction listed in DIMS with the most recent occurring on 22 March 2008, when he spat on the guard force. He has 13 Reports of Disciplinary Infraction for assault with the most recent occurring on 22 March 2008, when spat on the guard force. Other incidents for which he has been disciplined include inciting and participating in mass disturbances, failure to follow guard instructions/camp rules, inappropriate use of bodily fluids, unauthorized communications, damage to government property, attempted assaults, assaults, provoking words and gestures, and possession of food and non-weapon type contraband. In 2007, he had a total of five Reports of Disciplinary Infraction and 19 so far in 2008. 7. (U) Detainee Intelligence Value Assessment: b. (S) Assessment: Detainee is assessed to be of HIGH intelligence value. Detainee s most recent interrogation session occurred on 27 March 2007. c. (S//NF) Placement and Access: As an assessed member of UBL s 55th Arab Brigade, detainee had access to commanders and other members of that unit, including other JTF- GTMO detainees. Detainee had access to other al-qaida and Taliban fighters who participated in combat action at Taloqan and Tora Bora. Detainee possibly had access to trainers, camp commanders, and other trainees at the al-faruq and Tarnak Farm training 28 Analyst Note: Al-Zubayr al-haili is identifiable with Badr Abd al-karim al-sudayri, a senior al-qaida operative and guesthouse manager in Kandahar, who facilitated students travel to the al-faruq Training Camp. 29 000535_SIR_19-JUL-2007;RFI_RESPONSE_R-GTMO-0289-07_ISN_535 30 IIR 6 034 1189 03, TD-314/25790-03, IIR 6 034 0345 05 7
camps, where detainee is suspected to have trained and may have seen UBL at one of his periodic visits to Tarnak Farm. New information reveals that detainee has been a long-time associate of Abu Zubayr al-haili and that has yet to be exploited on any level at this point in time. Detainee possibly stayed in at least one al-qaida-affiliated guesthouse and probably had access to personnel who managed the guesthouse and facilitators who helped arrange the lodging for al-qaida recruits, trainees, and members who stayed there. Detainee was captured in the Tora Bora region and admitted traveling to multiple locations throughout Afghanistan. d. (S//NF) Intelligence Assessment: Detainee s placement on the front lines of Afghanistan provided him access to information and individuals associated with al-qaida and Taliban fighters. If detainee attended poison training at Tarnak Farm, he probably had access to senior al-qaida members and knowledge about the al-qaida poisons program. Based upon his travels, detainee probably has additional information pertaining to al-qaida guesthouses and safe houses, militant personnel, and escape routes in the Tora Bora region. Detainee can identify other JTF-GTMO detainees he may have encountered at the al-faruq and Tarnak Farm training camps, at al-qaida guesthouses, or on the front lines at Taloqan and Tora Bora. e. (S//NF) Areas of Potential Exploitation: Tarnak Farm s advanced poisons course, including trainers, trainees, and curriculum UBL s 55th Arab Brigade Leadership Other members, including JTF-GTMO detainees Activities at Taloqan and Tora Bora Bosnian Jihad Detainee s association with Bosnian commander Abu Zubayr al-haili Detainee s travels while in Afghanistan and Pakistan Al-Qaida and Taliban guesthouses and safe houses Activities around Tora Bora Associated persons incarcerated with detainee prior to his transfer to US custody Facilitators and recruitment for jihad Qadri Ahmed Ghufran Support to terrorist organizations in Yemen Terrorist recruitment of juveniles 8. (S) EC Status: Detainee s enemy combatant status was reassessed on 3 November 2004 and he remains an enemy combatant. 8
S E C R E T // NOFORN I I 20330414 wuw6a vlp. MARK H. BUZBY Rear Admiral, US Navy Commanding. Definitions for intelligence terms used in the assessment can be found in the Joint Military Intelligence College October 2001 guide Intelligence Worning Terminologt. I S E C R E T // NOFORN I I 20330414